Supporting structure for use in inspection pits or the like



Oct. 9, 1962 E. SOMMElER SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR USE IN INSPECTION PITS OR THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 25, 1960 IN VENTOR Eric/7 Sommerer ATTORNEYS Oct. 9, 1962 E. SOMMERER 3,057,437

SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR USE IN INSPECTION PITS OR THE LIKE Filed March 25, 1960 5 Sheets-$heet 2 I 1 gr 6 A INVENTOR E/CC/J m warm ATTORNEYS Oct. 9, 1962 E. SOMMERER 3,057,437

SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR USE IN INSPECTION PITS OR THE LIKE Filed March 25, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 i ON Z INVENTOR Eric/1 5ommerer BY M a ATTORNEYS Oct. 9, 1962 SOMMERER SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR USE IN INSPECTION PITS OR THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 25, 1960 INVENTOR frlcfi Sommera BY 3- flLQ/ ATTORNEYS Oct. 9, 1962 E. SOMMERER SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR USE IN INSPECTION PITS OR THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 25, 1960 INVENTOR. E/Lcb Somme A TTQ rlNe 55 United States ate'nt 3,ll57,437 Patented Oct. 9, 1962 3,057,437 SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR USE IN INSPEC- TION PITS OR THE LIKE Erich Sommerer, 52/54 Boblingerstrasse, Stuttgart- Vaihingen, Germany Filed Mar. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 17,531 9 Claims. (Cl. 1878.43)

This invention relates to supporting structures, and more specifically to a structure for supporting a vehicle of any type standing over an inspection pit.

Such supporting structures are known. They are generally used when the vehicle is intended to be kept at a certain level above the ground for a relatively long period of time and the lifting jack or lifting device arranged to be movable lengthwise of and within the inspection pit is to be made available for other lifting operations. Such supporting structures are also frequently used when the vehicle is to be supported at places lying outside the operating range of the lifting device, for example, at the external frame pieces or the like.

These known supporting structures usually consist of a round or square pedestal which is cast or made from sectional irons, and a supporting column adjustably arranged therein and provided at the top with a vehicle engaging rest.

Supporting structures of this type, if they are to be stable, will naturally require an adequate supporting surface which, however, is not always available in inspection pits. It is, therefore, frequently necessary to lie boards or planks across the pit in order to provide a base for the supporting structures. This measure is not only cumbersome but also involves a more or less heavy hindrance to the person working in the inspection pit.

To eliminate these disadvantages the present invention provides a supporting structure which comprises at least one supporting frame provided with at least one vertically adjustable supporting column raisable only in unloaded state and provided with a vehicle engaging rest, said supporting frame extending transversely across the inspection pit and being lengthwise movable thereon. The lifting device is movable underneath the supporting frame within the inspection pit.

The supporting columns are independently movable transversely on the supporting frame so that the places on the vehicle to be supported can be chosen at will and the supporting structure can engage any place on the bottom side of the vehicle both longitudinally of the vehicle and in the transverse extent thereof.

In connection with the lifting device the novel supporting structure permits any vehicle standing over an inspection pit to be supported in a simple, safe and easy manner at any height and in any position and lowered in a similar manner whereby an increased reliability of operation and a considerable economy of working time are effected.

Several preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a supporting frame arranged in an inspection pit equipped with a lifting device;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the supporting frame shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of another embodiment of the supporting frame showing same as supported on rollers;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of an arrangement with two roller-supported supporting frames and a lifting device;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of still another embodiment showing an additional transverse girder for the support of the supporting columns, and

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show a supporting frame which consists substantially of two parallel horizontally spaced transverse girders 1 of, for example, U-shaped or box-like cross section which girders are interconnected at either end by means of a supporting plate 2. These supporting plates 2 are arranged to slidably rest on a trackway 3 for a lifting device 4 movable lengthwise of and within an inspection pit G, the trackway 3 being formed of angle irons or flat irons and provided with protective sheet metal plates 18 as shown. The vehicle lifting device 4 travels interiorly of the supporting plates 2.

Placed on the two transverse girders 1 are two socketlike base members 5 each having a central guide sleeve 6 in which a column 8 provided with a vehicle engaging rest 7 is adjustable in height. To this end each column 8 is provided with pairs of through bores 10 for the reception of a pin 11 which comes to rest against the upper edge of the guide sleeve 6. It is expedient to make the distances between the individual pairs of through bores 10 differing from each other and for instance, larger toward the upper end of each column 8.

Both base members 5 can be moved independently of each other on the transverse girders 1 and to this end, the under-sides thereof are provided with two guide members 9 which extend normal and up to the transverse girders 1.

The level of the transverse girders 1 as well as that of the lowest position of a lifting rod 24 associated with the vehicle lifting device 4 is so chosen that the lifting device can be moved underneath the supporting frame from one side to the other side thereof.

For jacking up a vehicle F the lifting device 4 and the supporting frame are moved, for example, under the rear axle of the vehicle in such a manner that the lifting device will occupy a position underneath the Supporting frame and the lifting rod 24 can pass through said frame and lift the vehicle. The columns 8 of the supporting frame are then pulled out to the desired height and secured by means of the pins 11, whereupon the vehicle is lowered up to the vehicle engaging rests 7 so as to be supported by the supporting frame.

Normally two such supporting frames are provided for across the pit so that the vehicle F can completely be supported and the lifting device be made available for other lifting or lowering operations.

Instead of a sliding motion of the supporting frame also a rolling one may be provided for, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. This arrangement is suitable for inspection pits in which, for instance, wide flanged double-T-girders 12 are used as a trackway. In this case the lifting device 4 travels on the lower flanges of the girders 12 whereas the supporting frame travels on the upper flanges or on L- straps 13 mounted on these upper flanges. Instead of the supporting plates 2 angular supporting members 14 are arranged at the ends of the transverse girders 1. These angular supporting members 14 each serve to support two rollers 15 which directly roll on the upper flanges of the girder 12 or on the L-straps 13 which may be mounted thereon, if desired.

To prevent the supporting frame from tipping, the angular supporting members 14 have angle plates 16 secured, preferably screwed, thereto which engage over the outer edges of the girders 12 and of the L-straps 13, respectively.

According to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 it is also made possible to support the frames of particularly broad vehicles. To this end, an intermediate piece 17 is employed which consists of two interconnected crossbeams 19 having two tubular elements 23 arranged on the bottom side thereof, and two base plates 20 to move on the crossbeams 19. The supporting columns 8 are inserted in guide sleeves 21 of these base plates 20 and secured by means of the pins 11 at any desired height. To prevent the base plates 20 carrying the columns 8 from tipping, the base plates 20 are provided at either side with claws 22 engaging over the lower edges of the crossbeams 19.

The intermediate piece 17 can be used both in sliding and rolling supporting frames and the breadth thereof is so chosen that even in the case of narrow inspection pits the frames of broad vehicles are allowed to be supported. In use, merely the columns 8 have to be pulled out of the base members and in place thereof the tubular elements 23 of the intermediate piece 17 inserted into the guide sleeves 6 of the base plates 5. The supporting columns 8 now available for use are then inserted into the base plates 20 of the intermediate piece 17 and after the lifting of the vehicle, adjusted to the desired height and secured by means of the pins 11. The two crossbeams 19 of the intermediate piece 17 are likewise so broadly spaced apart that the lifting rod 24 of the lifting device 4 can pass through between the crossbeams 19.

The supporting frames may, of course, be assembled from other sectional steels or may be partially or entirely composed of cast or forged pieces the outer shape of which may be chosen at will within the scope of the present invention.

The vehicle lifting device is vertically adjustable preferably hydraulically by means of a hand pump or a motor drive. The motion of the lifting device across the length of the inspection pit is effected by hand.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A supporting structure, particularly for vehicles, for use in inspection pits, comprising in combination With a lifting device movable within said inspection pit, at least one separate supporting frame provided with at least one vertically adjustable supporting column raisable only in unloaded state and provided with a vehicle engaging rest, said supporting frame extending transversely across said inspection pit and being lengthwise movable thereon independently of said lifting device, means constituting tracks for the movable lifting device and the movable supporting frame, the lifting device when lowered being located at a lower level than the part of the supporting frame extending across said inspection pit, whereby the vehicle lifting device is movable underneath the supporting frame within the inspection pit.

2. A supporting structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting frame consists substantially of two parallel horizontally spaced interconnected transverse girders and two socket-like base members placed thereon to be independently movable thereon and serving to receive the supporting columns.

3. A supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transverse girders are so spaced from one another that a lifting rod of the lifting device movable on a trackway at the top of the inspection pit can pass through between said transverse girders.

4. A supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transverse girders are interconnected by vertical supporting plates mounted at the ends thereof, said supporting plates having lower edges constituting sliding members to move the supporting frame on the trackway of the lifting device.

5. A supporting structure, particularly for vehicles, for use in an inspection pit, comprising in combination with a lifting device, means constituting trackways supporting said lifting device for movement in the longitudinal direction within said inspection pit, at least one separate supporting frame having two parallel horizontally spaced transverse girders, angular supporting members interconnecting said girders, rollers carried by said angular supporting members, socket-like base members caried by said girders, vertically movable columns carried by said base members and vehicle-engaging rests upon the upper ends of said vertically movable columns; and means constituting trackways extending above the first-mentioned trackways and supporting said rollers.

6. A supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein an intermediate piece is provided to be inserted in the base members and enables the supporting columns to be moved transversely apart to a greater extent.

7. A supporting structure, particularly for vehicles, for use in an inspection pit, comprising in combination with a movable lifting device, at least one separate movable supporting frame extending across said inspection pit and movable independently of said lifting device along said inspection pit, said supporting frame comprising two parallel horizontally spaced interconnected transverse girders, two socket-like base members carried by said girders and independently movable thereon, vertically adjustable supporting columns carried by said base members, vehicle engaging rests carried by said columns, and an intermediate piece in said base members for moving apart the supporting columns, wherein the intermediate piece consists substantially of two parallel crossbeams horizontally spaced so a to allow the lifting rod of the lifting device to pass through therebetween, and two base plates movably arranged on said crossbeams and serving to receive the supporting columns, the bottom side of said intermediate piece being provided with two tubular members fitting into guide sleeves of the base members of the transverse girders.

8. A supporting structure as claimed in claim 7, wherein the base plates of the intermediate piece are provided on either side with claws engaging over the outer lower edges of the crossbeams of said intermediate piece.

9. A supporting structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the supporting columns are provided with through bores serving for the vertical adjustment of said supporting columns, said through bores being unequally spaced apart.

References Cited in the file of this patent Carrigan June 30, 1959 

